Furniture Drawer

ABSTRACT

A furniture drawer has two lateral walls, a back wall and a base, and includes a front plate connecting the front ends of the lateral walls and a front trim, fixed thereto. Each lateral wall includes a metal running track, fixed to the back wall and the front plate. The running track is arranged in a lateral wall cladding, held between the back wall and the front trim as a support strut. The front plate is screwed to the front trim with horizontal tensioning. The lateral wall cladding is open to the bottom and engages with interlocking over the running track. The lateral wall cladding houses a longitudinal edge of the base in a groove at the lower edge of the inner wall thereof.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The invention relates to a furniture drawer with two lateral walls, aback wall, a base, a front plate that connects the two front ends of thelateral walls, and a front trim fixed thereto.

The manufacture of furniture drawers increasingly calls for a simplifiedassembly process. If furniture drawers are manufactured in factories,simplification of the assembly process results in considerable costsavings. However, increasingly furniture drawers in the form of assemblykits are made available to customers who then assemble the furniture andtherefore also the drawers. This system does not allow any significantdemands on the ability of the customers or the availability of specialassembly tools.

Despite the desired assembly simplification, one must ensure, however,that the assembled furniture drawer is stable and remains so afterlong-term and frequent use.

Significant requirements are associated with the load bearing capacityof furniture drawers as well, because excessive loads are possible.

In a known furniture drawer, as mentioned in the introduction (U.S. Pat.No. 5,618,091), the two lateral walls are comprised of metal. There isno additional tensioning of the furniture drawer. The metal lateralwalls are not clad. The back wall and the front plate are inserted intoor screwed to angled flanges at the ends of the lateral walls. Thestability of the furniture drawing is determined solely by the stabilityof the respective corner connections.

It is desirable to provide a design of a furniture drawer as mentionedin the introduction that allows for easy assembly and provides stabilityand high load bearing capacity.

According to an aspect of the present invention, each lateral wallcomprises a metal running track fixed to the back wall and the frontplate, in that the running track is arranged in a lateral wall claddingheld between the back wall and the front trim as a support strut, and inthat the front plate is screwed to the front trim with horizontaltensioning.

Compared to customary designs of furniture drawers in which the cornersof the drawer only have a simple connection of the walls that meetthere, for example by way of a screwed connection or an insertconnection, the furniture drawer according to the invention isespecially advantageous in that there is tensioning between the backwall and the front plate that carries the front trim because the metaltrack arranged there, which can be connected to a telescope pullout, forexample, acts as a running track to brace the back wall against thelateral wall cladding that acts as a support strut.

The lateral wall cladding preferably is open to the bottom and engageswith interlocking over the running track. It provides cladding for themetal running track with regard to the inside space of the drawer, andto the outside it provides cladding for the space outside the metalrunning track that houses the guide elements for the drawer, for examplea telescopic pullout track.

The interaction of the running track and the lateral wall cladding thatacts as a support strut in both lateral walls of the furniture drawerensures that said drawer has a high degree of stiffness and shapestability.

The tensioning between the running track and the support strut isaccomplished easily by screwing the front plate to the front trim withhorizontal tensioning, with the front trim pushing against the lateralwall cladding from the front so that the latter functions as a supportstrut. No special assembly measures are required because the front trimis usually screwed to the front plate anyway.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lateral wallcladding comprises a groove at the lower edge of the inner wall withsaid groove housing a longitudinal edge of the base. This means that itis not necessary for the metal lateral wall to have a bearing bridge forthe base. The height of the metal lateral running tracks can be lowerthan the height of the drawer, because the overlapping lateral wallcladding provides the lateral inside area of the drawer across theentire height. This not only saves material for the running track, italso reduces the overall weight.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the front plate isa metal track and is covered by a cover profile. This allows for theselection of a metal front plate, which is especially suited for thetransfer of the existing forces with said metal front plate not beingvisible when the drawer is opened because it is covered by the coverprofile.

When the two ends of the cover profile rest against the inside of thelateral wall cladding, the front end of the lateral wall profile issupported with regard to the inside space of the drawer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in more detail based on the exemplaryembodiments that are shown in the drawing. The following is shown:

FIG. 1 shows a spatial, extended view of a kit for a furniture drawerwith one of the lateral walls missing;

FIG. 2 shows a horizontal longitudinal section through a lateral wall ofthe furniture drawer;

FIG. 3 shows a view in direction of arrow III in FIG. 2, with sectionline II-II in FIG. 2 being indicated here;

FIG. 4 shows a section along line IV-IV in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 shows a section along line V-V in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 shows a section along line VI-VI in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 shows a view similar to that in FIG. 1 of a modified embodimentof a furniture drawer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The furniture drawer shown in FIGS. 1-6 comprises two lateral walls 1(one of which is not shown in FIG. 1), a back wall 2, a base 3, and afront plate 4 to which a front trim 5 is screwed.

Each of the two lateral walls 1 comprises a metal running track 6 thatis engaged with interlocking by a lateral wall cladding 7 that is opento the bottom. In the example that is shown, the lateral wall cladding 7is comprised of wood material. It can also be made of plastic, awood-plastic composite, or aluminum.

On its upper and lower edge, the running track 6 comprises flanges 8, 9that are beveled off to the outside, between which a telescopic pullouttrack 10 is arranged as indicated in dash-dotted lines in FIG. 3.

The lateral wall cladding 7 comprises a longitudinal groove 7 a abovethe running track 6 in which the upper flange 8 of the running track 6is arranged. This keeps the running track 6 in its position in thelateral wall cladding 7. This is important so as to have sufficient freespace 10 a for a pullout system within the lateral wall cladding 7lateral next to the running track 6. Furthermore, this provides for amore stable unit comprised of running track 6 and lateral wall cladding7.

At its back end, the lateral track 6 comprises tabs 11, 12 that arebeveled to the front and that extend into the location holes 13 of theback wall 2 from the back of the drawer.

The location holes 13 are through bores. The tabs 11, 12 protrude on thefront side of the back wall 2 and rest against the inside of the innerwall 14 of the lateral wall cladding 7.

Two rails 15, 16 protrude from the lower edge of the inner wall 14 ofthe lateral wall cladding 7 that limit a groove 17 between them in whicha longitudinal edge 18 of the base 3 is housed.

The lower tab 11 that protrudes from the back wall 2 lies at the loweredge of the groove 17 that houses the longitudinal edge 18 of the base3. The upper tab 12 that extends from the back wall 2 also rests againstthe inside of the inner wall 14 of the lateral wall cladding 7. This ishow the inner wall 14 of the lateral wall cladding is fastened at itsback end. The lower tab 11 that protrudes from the back wall 2 islocated at the lower edge of the groove 17 that houses the longitudinaledge 18 of the base 3.

The front plate 4 is a metal track and comprises lateral hook tabs 19that are hooked into receptacle slots 20 of the running tracks 6. Alocking mechanism keeps the front plate 4 in its hooked in position onthe running track 6.

In the exemplary embodiment that is shown, an additional lockingmechanism on both ends of the front plate 4 comprises a locking bolt 21that can be moved in longitudinal direction and whose lateral lockingprojecting part 22 can be pushed into a recess 23 of the running track6. The locking bolt 21 is arranged in a mobile manner between the edgeflanges 24 of the front plate 4 with said flanges being beveled towardsthe inside.

Similar to the inner walls 14, the inside of the back wall 2 comprises agroove 25 along the lower edge that accommodates the back edge 26 of thebase 3.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1-6, the front plate 4 isa metal track and is covered by a cover profile 30 made of plastic, forexample. With a downward-facing edge strip 31, the cover profile 30engages on its upper, front edge between the front trim 5 and the frontplate 4 where it is clamped.

The two ends 32 of the cover profile 30 rest against the inside of theinner wall 14 of the lateral wall cladding 7 and thus support the frontend of this lateral wall 14 and keep it from shifting inward.

With its two lower, outer corners 32 a, the cover profile 30 is locatedon the front in front of a rail 15 that protrudes from inside on thelateral wall cladding 7. This ensures that the front ends of the rails15 keep and secure the cover profile 30 in its position.

A horizontal rail 33 arranged along the inside of the cover profile 30forms a stop area 34 at each of its ends that rests against a catch 35that protrudes from the locking bolt 21 and thus secures the lockingbolt 21 in its lock position.

For the assembly of the furniture drawer in the embodiment according toFIGS. 1-6, the two tabs 11, 12 are pushed into the location holes 13from the back. The front ends of the running tracks 6 are connected tothe front plate 4. The two lateral wall claddings 7 then are placed overthe two running tracks 6 and pushed back until they rest against theback wall 2. After the base 3 is inserted from the front, the front trim5 is screwed to the front plate 4 and secures the base 3 in itsposition.

FIG. 2 shows that a face 27 of the lateral wall cladding 7 extends overthe face 28 of the front plate 4. When the front plate 4 is screwed tothe front trim 5 with screws 29, the front trim 5 exerts pressure on thelateral wall cladding 7 due to the tension produced by the screwedconnection, so that the back end of the lateral wall cladding, whichrests against the back wall 2, acts as a support strut. At the sametime, this also exerts tension on the running track 6.

Deviating from the exemplary embodiment that is shown in FIGS. 1-6, thefront plate 4′ in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 7 iscomprised of wood or wood material. The front end of the running track6′ has tabs 36 that are beveled inward and backward and extend into thelocation bores 37 of the front plate 4′ from the front of the drawer. Inthis manner, a fixed connection between the running track 6′ and thefront plate 4′ or the back wall 2, respectively, is provided on thefront of the drawer that is similar to that described for the back ofthe drawer, with the lateral wall cladding 7 providing the support strutin this case as well, which transmits a pressure force from the fronttrim 5 to the back wall 2.

Apart from a screwdriver for the screw 29, no additional tools areneeded for the assembly of the furniture drawer.

1. Furniture drawer with two lateral walls, a back wall, a base, a frontplate connecting front ends of the lateral walls, and a front trim fixedthereto, wherein each lateral wall comprises a metal running track, themetal running track being fixed to the back wall and the front plate,the running track being arranged in a lateral wall cladding, heldbetween the back wall and the front trim as a support strut, and thefront plate is screwed to the front trim with horizontal tensioning. 2.Furniture drawer according to claim 1, wherein the lateral wall claddingis open to the bottom and engages over the running track.
 3. Furnituredrawer according to claim 1, wherein the lateral wall cladding houses alongitudinal edge of the base in a groove at a lower edge of an innerwall of the lateral wall cladding.
 4. Furniture drawer according toclaim 1, wherein the lateral wall cladding is made of at least one ofwood material, plastic, and a composite material.
 5. Furniture draweraccording to claim 1, wherein back ends of the running track comprisetabs that are beveled inward and to a front of the running track, thetabs extending into location holes of the back wall from a back of thedrawer.
 6. Furniture drawer according to claim 5, wherein the locationholes are through bores and the tabs protrude from a front of the backwall and rest against an inside of an inner wall of the lateral wallcladding.
 7. Furniture drawer according to claim 6, wherein one of thetabs protruding from the back wall is located at a lower edge of agroove in the lateral wall cladding that houses a longitudinal edge ofthe base.
 8. Furniture drawer according to claim 1, wherein the frontplate is a metal track and comprises lateral hook tabs that are hookedinto receptacle slots of the running tracks.
 9. Furniture draweraccording to claim 8, wherein a locking device secures the front platein a hooked position in the running track.
 10. Furniture draweraccording to claim 9, wherein the locking device is disposed on bothends of the front plate and comprises a locking bolt that can be movedin longitudinal direction and having a lateral locking projecting partthat can be pushed into a recess of the running track.
 11. Furnituredrawer according to claim 1, wherein the front plate is a metal trackand is covered by a cover profile.
 12. Furniture drawer according toclaim 11, wherein the cover profile has a downward-facing edge stripengaged between the front trim and the front plate.
 13. Furniture draweraccording to claim 11, wherein the cover profile has two ends that restagainst an inside of the lateral wall cladding.
 14. Furniture draweraccording to claim 11, wherein the cover profile has two lower, outercorners and is located in front of a rail that protrudes from inside ofthe lateral wall cladding.
 15. Furniture drawer according to claim 10,wherein a stop area arranged on the cover profile secures the lockingbolt in a locked position.
 16. Furniture drawer according to claim 1,wherein an upper flange of the running track is housed in a longitudinalgroove of the lateral wall cladding.
 17. Furniture drawer according toclaim 1, wherein the front plate is comprised of at least one of woodand wood material, and a front end of the running rack has tabs that arebeveled inward and backward and that extend into location holes of thefront plate from a front of the drawer.
 18. Furniture drawer accordingto claim 11, wherein a stop area arranged on the cover profile securesthe locking bolt in a locked position.